"All men are created equal", perhaps in this modern period, that phrase is interpreted to be referred to both male and female. Though in the early and late 1800's, most people would think that the phrase above only appropriately apply to male. Women of that period did not enjoy much freedom like women of today. Society in the 18th century had drawn a line of what women could and could not do. Moreover, women were thought to be intellectually and physically inferior compared to the male. Radically, some even thought that women should not get an education because it would be a waist of time; instead they encouraged women to do things that were more womanly. As a result, their daily lives were very much circumscribed by the boundary that the society had imposed on them. Being isolated by the society, home was a profound word that most people thought to be concatenated with women. Women staying at home, doing chores, raising children, weaving, were the society's perfect images about how a woman should be doing.
According to today's standard of moral, those conceptions about women mentioned above would be considered as prejudice and discrimination against women. The question that one might come up with when looking back at the history is "Why didn't woman rise up against this injustice?" Actually, they did. As early as the revolution in France and the fall of the monarchy in England, some famous women did speak out for their rights, but their ideas were not universally accepted. The society at the time was not that close-minded to refuse to grant women their rights, but that idea contradicted the foundation from which they were raised up with. Therefore, some historians thought that it is due to the traditional culture reason that was responsible for the neglect of society about women rights.
Traditionally, women were raised up along with those fairy tales of charming prince and princess which ultimately gave them an early impression that marriage was the main goal in a women life. As they grew up, women would be encouraged by the society that bearing children and taking a great care of them were the female's highest duty in life. At this stage, women would be greatly influenced by the teaching of the society and that they almost never could break out of this influence to think of anything else. Moreover, marriage was a vital surviving point for a woman. A husband was a guaranteed of food, shelter, and protection for women at that time. A woman could otherwise stay at home with their parents, but when the parents died, most of the inheritance would go to the son, and the woman had to be on her own. Being unable to know how to make money, the woman soon would die of starvation. Therefore, a marriage was needed in a women life at that time. In a family, "the husband was responsible to support his wife, and therefore is entitled to her custody". The wives just stayed at home and did chores, or if in a subsistent culture, she would work the farm with her husband. She barely went out side of her house, since most believe that the world is full of deceives and that it was safer for a woman to stay at home. Also, the wives did not really have properties of her owns, but the husband would possess whatever she had.
The inferiority of woman to man were thought to be related to the strength of mind. Mr. Walker, a scientist who experienced with a twin boys and girls, had concluded that the "size and power of the brain is less in women". Though, despite the fact that male physical body is naturally bigger than a female, Mr. Walker referred to male as a sex of brain and mind because the forehead size of male was bigger than that of female. In the same way, the society thought that female was less intelligent than male. Therefore, an education for female was not an urgent thing to concern about. The idea of having a female to run for office was abhorred by most people. Some said that it was an offense to the society if women hold office, because she could never compete with men. Politic was considered as a matter of reason not instinct, and woman was definitely, according to the society's view, not suitable. As a general concept about women, "women rather yield to their passions then to follow the calmer dictates of reason". The society reasoned that women could not make any pivotal decision if she was to hold office. Moreover, women were believed to be a delicate and honest creature, therefore she should not be involved in the politic matter.
The society in the early and late 18th century was not ready to accept the idea of equality between man and women. Being much under the influence of their cultural and traditional concepts, most people had taken away the natural rights of women.
Walker,Alexander. Women Physiologically Consider. Feb. 21, 2003